If you are bringing home a new Soundbar to heighten your media streaming and movie-watching experience, then you are in for a treat. Regardless of the type of TV you have, you can generally connect the two devices.
But, what about a Roku TV? How do you hook up Roku TV to a Soundbar?
There are three main ways to connect your Roku TV to a Soundbar including connecting them via an HDMI cable or pairing them wirelessly with a Bluetooth receiver or on a shared WiFi network. Once connected, adjust your TV settings to enable the device and permit it as your preferred speaker option.
Fortunately, even for those who are newer to using a Roku TV or a Soundbar can typically figure this out without too much complication.
But, you will obviously want to know what you are doing or follow an instructional guide to ensure the safety of your equipment. Without further adieu, let’s take a closer look at how to hook up your Roku TV to a Soundbar.
Also read: Does Roku Work with a Projector?
1. Hooking Up a Roku TV to a Soundbar with an HDMI Cable
One of the three main ways that you can connect your Roku TV with a Soundbar is with an HDMI cable.
This type of cable has become pretty standard on many pieces of technology these days with Smart TVs and other devices included. HDMI cables are pretty easy to come by and might either come with your Roku TV, your Soundbar, or they can be found at almost any electronic store.
Connecting your Roku TV with a Soundbar via an HDMI cable is a surefire way that will allow the audio to stream through to your Soundbar.
Depending on which model of Soundbar you have, there will be different numbers of speaker channels and other specifications. Regardless of these details, an HDMI cable is a great option to be able to connect your Roku TV with a Soundbar.
To hook up your Roku TV to a Soundbar with an HDMI cable, follow these steps:
Purchase all the necessary equipment
Fortunately, this is a pretty easy step to complete considering the limited number of items that will be on your checklist.
Simply put, once you ensure that your Soundbar and your Roku TV are compatible with an HDMI cable, this is the only piece of equipment you should need to purchase.
Of course, if you are unsure if the TV and the Soundbar are HDMI compatible, then you can simply look on the back of both of the devices.
There should be a pretty clear label as well as a distinct shape that would fit this type of cable. The only reason your Soundbar might not be HDMI compatible is if it only allows wireless connections, but we will get into that later.
Run the HDMI cable from the Roku TV to the Soundbar
This step is as simple as it sounds and is easy to complete once you have found the location for the input/output of this cable on both of your devices. Of course, you will want to arrange the cable so that it is not in the way of your screen.
There are actually some pretty interesting ways that you can hide the wires from your Soundbar in case you care to do so.
Often, users find that this helps to clean up their space and perpetuate a sleek, modern design that is both nice in appearance and in sound quality.
Adjust your TV settings
Now that the two devices are paired up physically with an HDMI cable, all you need to do to ensure that this connection will work for your intended purposes is to adjust your TV settings accordingly.
You will likely find that your TV has a standard sound/audio option- most often the TV general speakers. Instead of this being the preferred option, you will want to select your Soundbar as the preferred option.
This will likely be listed under Settings as the HDMI connection (depending on which HDMI port you connected your Soundbar to on your Roku TV). On most Roku TVs, this will be found under the “System Audio Control”.
Along with this, if you have any issues with the device being recognized by the TV, then you can adjust the device settings under “Control Other Devices” to connect the Soundbar here.
Now, your Roku TV should both recognize the device as well as “prefer” it for the standard speaker option. You may begin streaming your media and celebrating your victory in a stable connection.
2. Hooking Up a Roku TV to a Soundbar with a Bluetooth Receiver
Many people prefer to go wireless with their Soundbars, but not all TVs are able to support this option.
Fortunately, most Roku TVs will support an HDMI cable, but if you are looking to connect your Soundbar in a way that will not leave you wondering how to hide the cable, then connecting the two devices with a Bluetooth Receiver can do the trick.
Now, if your Soundbar is capable of connecting to WiFi, then this will likely not be the easiest wireless option. But, since all Soundbars are different, you can default to using a Bluetooth Receiver assuming your Soundbar is Bluetooth compatible (which most are).
To hook up your Roku TV to a Soundbar with a Bluetooth Receiver, be sure to follow these steps:
Purchase all the necessary equipment
Similar to all other processes for connecting your Roku TV to a Soundbar, you will want to make sure that you have all of the equipment that you need before you begin.
This can save you quite a headache in collecting the pieces later on when you are hoping to already be watching your favorite shows.
Fortunately, the shopping list is pretty minimal on this option, too, but you might need to purchase parts that are not included with your Roku TV or Soundbar.
Mainly, you will need to add a Bluetooth Receiver to your shopping list and ensure that it will pair with whichever model of TV that you have.
Connect the Bluetooth receiver to your TV’s RCA output
Ideally, your Roku TV should have an RCA output option or another type of auxiliary output option that can pair with a Bluetooth Receiver. If you choose to use this option, then you will need to purchase a Bluetooth receiver that will fit into this type of output.
Then, you will plug in the receiver to the respective input/output port. You will need to ensure that the receiver has some type of access to power as well.
You can choose to purchase a rechargeable/battery-operated receiver, or you can find one that plugs into a power source and can maintain power in this way.
There is no wrong option here, you just need to ensure that your Bluetooth receiver can be turned on and off in the first place.
Pair the two devices via Bluetooth
Once you have plugged in your Bluetooth Receiver to your TV, it is time to turn on the receiver and the Soundbar and begin to pair the two devices.
You should be able to see that they have some sort of light blinking to let you know that they are powered on. Then, pair them according to the directions on the Bluetooth receiver.
Adjust your TV’s settings
Now that the devices have been paired, you should be able to assume that the TV is receiving the Soundbar as an output speaker option.
But, this is not always automatically recognized in your TV’s settings. For this reason, it is important to adjust the settings for the device as well as the speaker options.
In this case, you will again go to Settings and ensure that under “Control Other Devices”, your Soundbar is recognized as a speaker source. Then, under “System Audio Control”, you can opt for this speaker to be the preferred and default speaker for your Roku TV.
3. Connecting a Roku TV to a Soundbar with a Shared WiFi Connection
Fortunately, working with a Roku TV will mean that you can pair it to a WiFi connection allowing for a wireless connection to a WiFi-compatible Soundbar.
Similar to connecting your device via Bluetooth receiver, then, you can avoid the jumbled mess of an appearance that using a cabled connection can create.
To hook up your Roku TV to a Soundbar with a shared WiFi connection, the steps are pretty simple.
Connect each device to a shared WiFi network
To begin with this process, you will need to select a WiFi network that you want both of your devices to be running on. Preferably, you can use a private network that is used throughout the entirety of your home.
Once you have established which network you would like for your devices to run on, connect each device to your WiFi network by following the instructions that come with your Owner’s Manual.
For the Roku TV, this should be found in Network/Connectivity options under Settings, but this could change depending on the model of your TV.
Pairing your Soundbar to WiFi should not be overly complicated either, but you can use your mobile device, laptop, or another device to work with your network and allow it to recognize the Soundbar as part of your Smart Home system. Your best bet is to follow the specific instructions that come with your model of Soundbar.
Enable the Soundbar as a recognized device on your Roku TV
Now that the devices have been paired to the same WiFi network, it is time to enable the Soundbar as a recognized device on your Roku TV. To do this, go to Settings and find “Control Other Devices”. Here, you will add the Soundbar so that it is recognized by your TV.
Adjust the TV preferred settings
After you have added your Soundbar as a recognized device on your Roku TV, you will want to adjust the audio settings to ensure that the Soundbar becomes your preferred speaker option.
Otherwise, you will find that the “System Audio Control” under Settings will likely default to the less desirable TV speakers.
Jason is a home theater expert with over 10 years of experience in setting up home cinema rooms and systems. What started out as a hobby soon transformed him into an authority in the audio-visual field. He is passionate about providing readers with accurate and up-to-date information on the latest audiovisual technologies and their applications for home theaters. Read more about Jason.